Projectile.



M. F. Rossr.

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION HLED APR. I. 1916.

1,222,142. Patenma Apr. 10,1917;

F Wc 1. /Z 4? 2 25 f /4 22 2 INVENTOR jlfar'cianus- E BY ATTORNEY WITNESSES (\1\. E MM ears an- MARGIANUS r. BOSSI, or sen JOSE, cannon-ma.

rnoancrrnn j "Specificatierslatent. P t t A 1 1917,

Application filed April 7, 1916. Serial No. 89,642.

ordnance purposes and has for its object to provide a hollow projectile which is. mounted a movable device that includes a plurality of cutters adapted to be forced out of a projectile after the latter has been discharged from the gun and which serve the purpose of cutting throughv and destroying wire entanglements that are erected at the present time in advance of an attacking army to prevent surprises and'sudden attack by the enemy. I

The primary-feature of the device comprises a longitudinally moving member to which are pivoted a plurality of knives or cutters, said member being retained in a retracted position until after discharged from the gun by a trip device which holds a spring, that forces the member forwardly and the knives outwardly, under tension.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the trip device that it will engage less minor character will be set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the projectile and loaded cartridge shell ready to be inserted in the bore of a 0.1m. v a Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same on a line 22. I

Fig. 3 is sectional view of the projectile similar to that shown in Fig. 1 after the gun.

has been fired and before the projectile has left the bore of the gun, the trip device being shown in one .of'the rifling grooves. i Fig. 4:,is a longitudinal sectional view of the projectile after it has left the bore of the one of the rifling grooves in the gun for the 'and before discharge, these ends lie against gun, showing the cutters or knives projected in operative position, and

Fig. 5 is a view of a detail of the invention. Referring to the drawing by numerals, 10 indicates. he improved projectile and 11 indioates a loaded cartridge shell similar to" such as are now used, but containing within.

, the mouth thereof and a short distance back therefrom, an annular band 12 fixed therein to which is attached the forwardly projecting finger 13, the use of which will be. described later.

The projectile 10 has a central longitudinal chamber 14 therein which in the present in stance is closed at its forward end by a head 15 and a base plug 16, both of which are screwed into place. Screwed into the base 16 is a stem 17 that projects in a forward direction through the chamber 14 in the axis of the same and is provided with a head 18 v on its forward end near the cap 15. Slide able on the stem 17 is a collar 19 between which and the base block16', is arranged a strong spiral spring 20 surrounding the stem 17 Projecting outwardly from the collar 19 in'diametrically opposite directions, are ears 21, there being two ears on each side between which is pivoted'one end of aknife or cutter 22. Two knives only are shown in the drawings, but the number may be increased as desired, and three or four or more knives may be employed if found convenient and more serviceable.

The forward ends of the knives 22 are free.

the inner wall of the chamber 14, being slightly curved at the ends to project a short distance into openings 23 formed through the wall of the projectile to permit the knives or cutters when the projectile is discharged to pass outwardly into the position shown in Fig. 4. In order' that the knives may be certain to pass outward, a spring 31 may be fastened to the collar 19 and bear upon the inner edge of each knife. The openin s 23 are at the forward end of the projectile as shown, and inclined to the axis thereof at such an angle as will permit the ready projection therethrough of the knives or cutters.

Through the side of the projectile 10 at the base thereof, is an opening 24 communicating with the chamber 14 therein and in, this opening is placed a semicircular plate 25 eccentrically pivoted on the pin 26 seated fdlok,

in the wall of the projectile. Hinged on the bottom of the plate 25 at the rear thereof is a trigger 27 having a depending finger 28 over which is engaged a yoke 29 projecting rearwardly from the collar 19 when the latter is retracted to its fullest extent. The semi-circular edge of the plate 25 faces the exterior of the projectile and is tangential to its outer surface when the trip mechanism is'set, being locked in such position, to take the strain produced by the tension of the spring 20*fr0m the trip mechanis1n, by the finger 13 heretofore described. This finger projects forwardly through an opening inthe base of the projectile and into a notch formed in the semicircular plate 25. The inner edge of plate 25 is more or less flattened and forms a'bearing face for the trigger 27 when the finger 28 thereon is engaged by the yoke 29.

When the projectile is loaded in the cartriclge shell, the collar 19 will be retracted to its fullest extent, thereby placing the spring 20 under its greatest tension and causing the yoke 29 to engage with the finger 28 on the trigger 27. .Reactive force of the spring 20 tends to push the collar 19 forward and through the yoke 29 rock the circular plate 25, but this is prevented by engagement of the finger 13 in the notch 30 in said plate. This finger it will be seen notonly prevents disengagement of the trip mechanlsm, but also keeps the semi-circular surface of the plate 28, through the eccentric p voting of said plate from bearing upon the inner surface of the cartridge shell. After the loaded projectile has been placed'in a gun and dis charged, the projectile, traveling through the gun will first pass from the cartridge case, whereupon the plate 25 becomes disengaged from the finger 13 and under the force of the spring 20, said plate will turn on its pivot until its outer edge is brought into contact with the bore of the gun. Continued forward movement of the projectile through the gun will cause the plate 25 to engage one of the rifling grooves 32 therein and set up a rotation of the projectile about its own axis. This movement of the plate 25 and trigger 27 of the trip mechanism not being suflicient to disengage the yoke 29, the knives 22 will remain within the projectile. After the projectile leaves the bore of the gun, the plate 25 is free to complete its rotation and permit the yoke 29 to disengage itself from the trigger 27 whereupon the spring 20 quickly forces the collar 19 with the knives 22 in 'a forward direction until stopped by the head 18, the knives being caused by this movement and the springs 31 to pass through the openings 23 near the head of the projectile and caused to stand outwardly therefrom at an angle, being braced by the rear walls of the openings as shown in Fig. 4E. The knives which are made of hard metal and sharpened, have both a forward movement with the projectile and a rotary movement about the axis ofthe same. They will there fore'cut through all wire entanglements that intervene in its path for a very great distance and when a sufficient number of such projectiles have been discharged, these en tanglements are practically rendered useless.

While I have shown and described the bestform of device now known to me, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is also to be understood that this projectile maybe used. for the destruction of aeroplanes, buildings and other objects.

I claim:

1. A hollow projectile having arms therein adapted to be projected through open ings in the sides of the same, and means pivotally mounted within the projectile and rotatable through a slot in the side thereof for holding said arms within the projectile until after the discharge of the latter from a gun, and further by engaging a riflin'g groove to rotate the pro ectile while passing through the gun.

2. Ahollow pro ectile, and cutting arms therein, movable longitudinally thereof to cause their extension through the side wall of the projectile, resilient means for forcing said arms forward, a trip mechanism in the projectile for holding the arms retracted, a cartridge shell, and means therein for lockingthe trip mechanism in operative position.

3. A hollow projectile and a cartridge shell therefor, in combination with a plurality of cuttingarms within the projectile and adapted'to be projected through the side walls thereof, a longitudinally movable member within the projectile to which said cutters are pivoted, means tending to force said member forwardly, and a tripping means in the projectile held in locked posltion by the cartridge shell to hold the arms retracted.

4. A. hollow projectile containing a longitudinally movable member and cutter arm's pivoted thereto adapted to be withdrawn into the shell or extended through openings in the wall thereof, resilient means for moving said member into position to project said cutters, and tripping means including an eccentrical'lypivoted.

late withrri" a. slot in the side of the proectile and adapted to hold the armsretracted whensaid projectile is loaded into a cartridge case.

5. In a projectile having a chamber therein, and a cartridge case'for said-projectile, an axially disposed stem within said chamher, a collar slidable on said stem, cutter arms pivoted to said collar and adapted to 20 and a trigger pivoted onsaid plate for enr be projected throughopenings in the sideof the projectile, a spring tending to force said collar into position to extend said arms,

a trip device adapted tobear against said cartridge case for holding the collar retracted and the cutter arms jectile to lock the trip device immovable and out of contact with the cartridge case.

6. In a projectile having acentral chamend of the chamber and the arms projected through openings in the side of the projectile, a yoke on said collar,

a trip device ineluding a disk-like-plate eccentrically pivoted within a'slot in the side of the projectile,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 6.

within the projectile, and a fixed'pin within the cartridge case projecting through the base of the progaging said yoke and holding the spring under tension and the cutter arms Within the projectile, a band within said cartridge case, and a pin fixed on said band and extending into the projectile to engage said plate and lock the trip device immovable.

7. A hollow projectile having cutters movable longitudinally therein and adapted to be projected through openings in the Wall thereof, resilient means for projecting said cutters, trip mechanism for holding said cutters within the projectile, and means projecting through the base of the projectile for locking said trip device immovable.

' In testimony whereofl affix my signa- --ture in presence of two witnesses.

- 'MARCIANUS F. ROSSI.

Witnesses: p v

W. EDWIN DREW, R. F. ROBERTSON.

, v Commissioner of lateifts, 

